04/13/2012

#Ticats load up on DBs ahead of mini-camp.

With the Ticats' three-day mini-camp just around the corner, it's hardly surprising that Bob O'Billovich is stockpiling defensive backs.

The team's vice president of football operations likes to have a wealth of bodies at one of the most important positions in the pass-happy CFL. O'Billovich brought no fewer than 15 corners, safeties and halfbacks to training camp last season and will likely have close to that number when the shortened preamble begins next Wednesday.

To that end, the team announced the signings of three American defensive backs on Thursday: Justin Boddie, a six-foot-two, 193-pounder who played four seasons at Central Florida; Thad Turner a six-foot, 183-pound player who spent time with the Colts, Patriots and Cardinals after four seasons at Ohio and Marcus Walker who, at five-foot-11, 191-pounds, played four seasons at Oklahoma and had stints with Carolina and Minnesota of the NFL.

They'll join a secondary that includes a number of returnees, including Marcell Young, Bo Smith and Carlos Thomas.

“It was tough to get a good evaluation on what happened in our secondary last year with all the injuries and changes,” O'Billovich said. “We're looking forward to seeing these guys at the mini camps so we can see how they compare to the guys we had last year.”

The team also announced the signing of Canadian defensive lineman and defensive lineman Neil Puffer, who played with Edmonton in 2010 after spending four years at Queens. The six-foot-four, 220 pound Timmins native expected to battle rookie Marc-Antoine Fortin and incumbent Kevin Scott for the long-snapping job.

“He's a bigger type guy and he's pretty good in coverage,” O'Billovich said.